Death among men
by Adriane Magicus
Summary: Saturn is a force of nature. One of the main ones. Death and Life. After star seeds, she decides, that she needs a Change in pace. She reincanates in a parallel universe. Meeting a bitter priestess in between the realm of the living and the dead, she takes the burden of the priestess, a jewel. Watch as Hotaru makes a name for herself in the past and cause chaos


**Death among men**

The sailor guardians represent what they stand for. Sailor Pluto is the guardian of time. Her domain governs all of time.

Sailor Jupiter is the guardian of thunder. Her domain governs everything from electric nerve signals to mighty thunder bolts. Not that she had fine enough control to control the small electricity signals in the nerves.

Now sailor Saturn on the other side of the medal is the guardian of life and death. If she ever unlocks her full potential, she could eradicate life with nothing but a thought, even that of powerful sailor guardians. Even that of sailor Cosmos. That is the true reason she is feared, the true reason she sealed her powers with the very glaive she wields. She can also create life where nothing lived before. That power was also sealed. Even then, she is very powerful. She is, after all, an aspect of death and life, both in equal parts, death and destruction is just much easier to control than life and creation. And less energy consuming. Her power over death lets her curse things. Her power over life lets her heal things. She has unparalleled skill in wielding her glaive, she just never got the chance to show it of. It frustrated her to no end. How could she avoid using her powers, when every single enemy was a distance fighter?!

* * *

A few years after the fiasco with the star seeds, and sailor Saturn was still grateful Galaxia never used her star seed, Saturn decided she wanted to reincarnate. It was nothing against her parents, and she told them as much, but she wanted a few years of normal life, without the threat of having to fight again. And so, mind made up, sailor Saturn reincarnated herself. Her glaive went into her pocket dimension, along with her transformation stick, then she went into the cycle of souls. There she befriended the soul of a jaded priestess. She was slated to be reincarnated with a pretty jewel and go on an adventure in the past. Saturn gave the priestess a deal: she would be the one taking care of the jewel and would go on an adventure, but they would be twins so as to not damage the time line to much. Pluto would get angry at her if her precious time line was damaged. Even if it was 'only' a parallel universe. The priestess agreed gratefully. Saturn tossed the jewel into her pocket dimension (she was just as surprised it worked as anyone else), then the two went ahead and got reincarnated.

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi looked down at her twin girls with pride. They might not be identical twins, but both looked beautiful to her. She named her little girls Kagome and Hotaru.

Kagome was lively and always pulled her twin along, while Hotaru was more shy and liked to study, so pulled Kagome into study sessions. They both liked history, though Hotaru studied almost every day at least an hour for history. Hotaru remembered her previous lives as sailor Saturn. Every single incarnation. Even the first, who sealed her power away and for what reasons, how she did it, what her powers at their height felt like and how she could control them. Everything. Sometimes she would take out the jewel and purify the demons in it a bit more (she killed the demons, therefor purifying it. No one said it had to be done by miko powers). The jewel became whiter and whiter the more demons were purified.

* * *

On her tenth birthday, Hotaru had the jewel completely purified. Then the jewel started to glow and the silhouette of a beautiful woman appeared in little Hotaru's room.

"Who are you?" Hotaru asked the ghostly woman.

"My name is Midoriko, young one. I must thank you for purifying the jewel as thoroughly as you did. I was locked in battle with the souls of 500 demons for a very long time." explained the now as Midoriko known woman.

"It was my pleasure to help a tortured soul out then!" Hotaru declared, hopefully, innocent. It seemed like she had succeeded, as Midoriko smiled benevolently down at Hotaru.

"Now, you seem to have quite the destiny ahead of you, young one, so I shall grant you my skills with a sword as well as my miko ki. I may only know a little bit, but I will also impart upon you my knowledge of the demon customs. May the fates be kind to you, young one." said Midoriko and before Hotaru could protest, Midoriko placed her hands on Hotaru's head and transferred the mentioned things, then faded into the afterlife.

After shifting through all that new knowledge, Hotaru stumbled upon her newly added powers. They had a time affinity. Great. Now she could control three of the major aspects of the universe. At least partly. Death, live and time. Only space and the elements were now missing, thought Hotaru bitterly. As if she hadn't been overpowered before...

* * *

A bit more then five years went by and Hotaru had secretly trained with her new power and skills and had them now somewhat under control. On her sixteenth birthday, the family cat ran into the old well house. Kagome was a bit fidgety around it, so Hotaru went and brought the cat back out.

After school, Hotaru went back into the old well house, because she had felt inactive youki in it. So she discovered the old demon blade. After picking it up and putting it on her obi (she had changed out of the green and white monstrosity that was called a school uniform and into a shrine maiden uniform in white and dark violet) she looked at the well. It was a tunnel through time. It was already pre programmed, so Hotaru messed a bit with it (Now for every month spent in the past, a single minute would pass in the present and the other way around, depending on where _she_ was. And she would not age a single bit more than time went by in her present), then jumped in.

* * *

After she climbed out on the other side, she looked around a bit. Green grass, a forest only a little ahead of her. After making sure no one was around, she pulled out the demon sword and it tried to take possession of her mind, body and spirit. Tried being the key word. As if Hotaru would ever let herself be subjected by something so absolutely beneath her station! And so, not even half a second after the sword tried to take control of her, she had it beaten into submission. Mentally.

It just so happened, that even that brief flare of youki was enough to attract the attention of a powerful demon. Correction: powerful demon lord. And just as Hotaru finished with her first set of katas to get a feel for the blade, he stepped into the clearing. With long silver hair and elegant face markings, he looked both feral and royal. Hotaru paused, then let the blade sink down. Enough to make her intent to discuss things peacefully clear, but not enough to be mistaken as giving up or submissive. She had, after all, gained the miko powers of the most powerful miko ever: Midoriko.

"Who are you?" asked the stranger.

"My name is Higurashi Hotaru, battle miko. May I inquire as to whom I am talking to?" asked Hotaru politely.

"This one is Sesshomaru, Lord of the West." replied Sesshomaru. He looked disdainfully at her. "Miko, why do you carry this ones father's main sword?" Hotaru let her eyes widen in surprise.

"I was unaware of that fact. I found the blade in the backroom of the shrine I lived at previously. I asked permission to take it with me when I left to cleanse it of demonic taint. The head priest allowed it, so I took it with me." Hotaru explained. Sesshomaru nodded at that.

"You will hand this one the sword." ordered Sesshomaru. Hotaru's eyes narrowed.

"Now, why should I do that? This weapon is my only means of protection at the moment." she said rather plainly. She made sure he got it, that she didn't want to keep this blade because of its value, but rather _because it was a weapon and she had no other_.

"Then this one will come back in three days time to retrieve it. You have until then to replace it." he grudgingly gave a bit of ground. Apparently he could feel Hotaru's miko powers and just how strong they were.

"You have my thanks, Lord Sesshomaru. I will not move from this clearing except to go to a nearby village to acquire a new weapon." she gave a small bow, still tense, and Sesshomaru nodded his acceptance, then left, back to his own camp side presumably.

* * *

Hotaru sensed where the village was, so made her way there to keep up appearances half an hour later. She walked passed a tree, with a young half-demon pinned to it, and further to the village. Her sword was sheathed by now. As she stepped out of the trees, she felt a weak miko coming to greet her.

"Greetings, young one. What brings you to our village?" asked the old miko.

"I'm here to hopefully acquire a new weapon. My own is a demon sword and a very powerful demon approached me just an hour back to reclaim his fathers sword. He is way to powerful for me to take on, so I have to give the sword back to him. I can't help people if I'm dead." explained Hotaru plainly.

The old miko sighed. "Very well, come along, we don't have many weapons, because this is a small village, but I will let you look them over." she said. Hotaru nodded gratefully and thanked the old miko profoundly.

After arriving at the small weapon shack, Hotaru let her glaive materialize among the weapons. After giving the weapons a once over, Hotaru 'noticed' the glaive sitting in a corner. "I will take that glaive." she said and picked her favorite weapon up. The old woman seemed startled by it.

"Girl, I have no idea how this weapon came to be here, but it has the feel of a weapon made for gods. I'm sorry, but I can't let you have it. It should be kept safe until the god or goddess can reclaim their weapon!" she said sternly.

"I respect you as a senior miko, really, I do, but if this weapon would not have liked me, I wouldn't even be able to pick it up, let alone touch it. My area of expertise is not exorcising or purifying, but the fight with inhuman weapons. This weapon clearly wants to be wielded, so I will wield it." Hotaru answered hotly, then brushed out of the shed and out of the town. She felt a bit agitated, that some human, miko or not, tried to get between her and her weapon.

* * *

Three days later, Hotaru had gone back through the well to get herself something to eat and stored everything she needed in her pocket dimension, to be pulled out when needed after day one, Sesshomaru returned. He shot the glaive lying next to her sitting form a surprised look, but did not comment. "This one has returned for his father's sword." he said.

"Ah, I new I forgot something!" exclaimed Hotaru. "I will get it, please wait for a few seconds. With that, Hotaru jumped down the well, climbed up on the other side and pulled the sword out of her pocket dimension to tuck the sword into her obi again, then sprang down the well once again and climbed agilely to the top again. "Here it is." said Hotaru plainly, taking the sword from her obi again and throwing it over to Sesshomaru. He should know about the body snatching part of the sword, right? Well, the older man on his side sent her a dark look. Then a spirit leaped out of the sword the second he caught it and tried to posses the Lord of the West.

Hotaru sighed, she should have guessed it, she was, after all, spiritually very powerful by nature of her powers and experience living. And she should have known it wasn't really a man standing next to Sesshomaru, but a spirit by experience and aura alone. Hotaru sighed again, then picked up her glaive and with a few, powerful strikes of her glaive, the sword was knocked out of Sesshomaru's hands.

At his look in her direction, she gave a small bow and explained herself. She was, after all, disguised as a weapon specialized battle miko, a powerful one, but still frail and human. "The weapon was taking you over. I knocked it out of your hands to prevent it, because I wasn't sure I could beat you, once the possession took full hold. I wasn't sure you could overcome it on your own. I'm sorry." said Hotaru. She backed away, glaive still firmly in hand and came to stand 15 meters away from him. Hotaru gave another bow to him, then spoke up again. "As you ordered, I gave back to you your father's sword, now I will continue my journey." explained Hotaru, then she turned and sped off as fast as she could and out of the clearing.

She came to a stop in front of the young half-demon. After looking him over, Hotaru came to the conclusion, that she could use a traveling partner, so she put a hand on the tree he was bound to, to grow a bead-necklace out of it. After enchanting it appropriately, she jumped up and landed next to the silver haired half-demon. After putting the necklace around his neck, Hotaru pulled the arrow out. Jumping down with the half-demon, she laid him on the ground. Noticing his dog ears, she gained an inspiration for the subjugating word.

When he opened his eyes a few seconds later, he very nearly attacked her, until she said one word: "Sit!" and he was slammed face first into the ground. "Now, I freed you from being pinned to that tree any longer and you attack me, how unfair is that? Fortunately for me, I prepared for such an eventuality. Now, how about introductions? I'm Higurashi Hotaru, nice to meet you. What is your name?" Asked Hotaru pleasantly.

The young half-demon meanwhile sat up and looked at her distrustfully. She seemed to be nice enough, even though she gave him that disgusting collar. "Inuyasha" he answered sullenly.

"Nice to meet you, Inuyasha. Now, I want a traveling companion and I decided you are going to be it. I don't know the lands as much as I want to, so I need your help getting around. I'm a battle miko, meaning I can battle with pretty much any weapon, heal and set up barriers. That pretty much is it. I need a partner not afraid to get their hands dirty, someone I can trust to watch my back. In return I can fulfill pretty much any wish you have, so long as it is not physical pleasure from me." offered Hotaru. She could see Inuyasha spin her words around in his head. He suddenly froze, then looked at her.

"Any wish?" he asked tentatively. Hotaru decided to not point out her limitations and nodded. "Could you make me a full demon?" he asked, sounding hopeful. Hotaru thought about it for a second.

"Not sure. I could definitely make you human or so you can transform into your human state at will, as you have a fully human form. If you managed to transform into a true dog demon, the full form at least, I had something to work with and could definitely manage it. Hm..." Hotaru trailed of thoughtfully. After a few seconds, she perked back up. "I have an idea. I make it so you don't transform into a human whenever that time is for you, and you will travel with me through the lands to wherever our feet carry us. When I manage to turn you into a full blooded demon, we see if we can stand traveling with each other. If not, you help me return to this exact location and then I will free you of the bead-necklace and we go our separate ways. What do you say?" asked Hotaru.

Inuyasha looked closely at her face, then they shook hands. Hotaru took the chance to mess a bit with Inuyasha's genetics, pushing his human ones back and strengthening the demon ones. Inuyasha had a stunned look on his face. "What did you _do_?!" he exclaimed, clearly confused.

"I strengthened your demon heritage while weakening and pushing your human heritage into the background. By the way, you have incredible potential!" explained Hotaru.

After a bit of small talk, the two set out. Inuyasha made a point to try and be polite to her, but it was painfully clear, that he was never taught manners. Hotaru offered to coach him on how to be stronger, but made it a package deal with learning proper and basic etiquette. After a few fights where Hotaru had to safe him, Inuyasha agreed grudgingly.

* * *

So after three months, Inuyasha had the basic human etiquette down. Now Hotaru taught him how to fight bare handed and how to wield a sword. Also only the basics, as Inuyasha would need to develop his own fighting style, given he had energy based attacks and all that while she didn't (actually, she did, she just didn't want to use them. Plus, she wanted them to stay a secret for a bit longer) and every strong fighter had their own fighting style, anyway. Whether that was customizing an already existing one or developing one purely his or her own.

* * *

After half a year of traveling, the two stumbled over a fox kit and Hotaru damn near adopted it on sight. It was that adorable. After avenging the poor kit's father with killing the thunder brothers, the group got the addition of the little kit. The little one learned about how to control his energy better and they discovered, that Shippo, the little fox kit, also had a strong fire affinity along with his illusions. Very rare for kitsune.

* * *

A month later, they found a lonely, female demon slayer. She wove a horrific tale of how a half demon came into her village and slew everyone. She was the only survivor. Hotaru's heart felt with her, and so the group received another member. Sango, as was her name, knew a lot about demon customs, so could teach what she knew to the group. They all knew, that some demons were to strong and had to be treated with the proper respect. Well, except for Hotaru, but she was playing down her skills, so as to not attract attention to herself.

* * *

The very next week, Hotaru just came back from a bath, she found a weak from hunger monk. She took him with her to the group and they welcomed him into their round. Fed him, watered him and then sent him of to sleep near the camp fire. The next day, the monk asked if he could travel with them for a while. They all agreed, and so Miroku became a part of Hotaru's little group. Even though the monk was an unrepentant pervert.

* * *

After another month, they came across Sesshomaru. Inuyasha wanted to fight him, but Hotaru put a hand over his shoulder. The young half-demon came to respect and trust Hotaru a lot, so he trusted in her ability to handle this situation. It helped, that Hotaru installed herself as alpha of the group. According to Inuyasha's instincts. "What can I do for you, Lord Sesshomaru?" asked Hotaru with a shot bow.

"This one has come to retrieve the black pearl imbedded into the half-breeds eye." said Sesshomaru.

"May I ask what for and if we could assist with it?" inquired Hotaru. She could swear his eyes lit up in amusement.

"To retrieve this ones father's third sword. The sword you gave back to this one has been mastered and the third is required." said Sesshomaru honestly. Hotaru nodded. She turned to Inuyasha and he sighed.

"I don't like it." he said, but came over to her.

"Protest noticed and filed away." she said. In this case it didn't matter, as Sesshomaru was way to strong for Inuyasha. And Hotaru had already confessed her thoughts about not being able to defeat Sesshomaru. So, Hotaru peered first into one eye, then the other, then put her palm over his open right eye and _pulled_. A black pearl followed her hand. As she looked at it, she frowned. "If used correctly, this pearl can open up a portal to a pocket dimension between this world and hell. That is one seriously dangerous artifact." she commented. Hotaru looked Sesshomaru square in the eye. "Are you sure your father's sword is in that dimension?" she asked seriously.

"This one is sure of it." answered Sesshomaru honestly.

"Would it trouble you too much, if I were to come with you? I must admit to being curious." she stated. It was a horrible breach in protocol, she knew it, Inuyasha knew it and her entire group knew it as well.

"You are speaking out of turn, miko." was the answer.

"I know, and I'm deeply sorry for it, but the sword was left to Inuyasha, so you are also out of turn trying to reclaim it." she returned cordially, with no malice in her tone.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. Then he really looked her over and took her in. Hotaru saw the moment realization hit him, that she was hiding away her true power. "Very well. You and this ones half-brother may accompany him. No one else." he relented. Hotaru gave a nod, then turned to her group. Who looked shocked at her being able to convince Sesshomaru of anything.

"Guys, why don't you set up camp somewhere around here. Inuyasha and I will be with you shortly. Miroku, you still have my talismans for the perimeter?" Miroku nodded. "Then please set them around the campsite. Inuyasha can follow your trail once we are back." they nodded, then went to set up camp. Hotaru then turned back to Sesshomaru. "Shall we?" and without waiting for an answer, she pushed a tiny fraction of her power over death into the pearl and a portal materialized on the ground in front of her.

"After you." said Inuyasha, giving Sesshomaru the chance to go through first. The demon lord nodded, then jumped through the portal feet first. Inuyasha and Hotaru followed not even ten seconds later. Hotaru had the pearl still in her hand.

They could see a massive dog skeleton in the distance and a portal twenty meters above them. Hotaru pulled her powers out of the pearl and the portal died down. Together the three walked over to the skeleton and inside it. On a pedestal in the dead dog demons mouth was an apparently rusty old sword. Sesshomaru went over to pull it out, but was repelled by a barrier. Inuyasha went next. Neither noticed the spirit sitting next to the sword, looking remarkably alike to the constant spirit companion, following Sesshomaru around.

Inuyasha could take hold of it, but could not pull it out. It was a surprise, because the spirit did seem like it liked him. Hotaru walked over and looked directly at the spirit. "May I pull the sword out? Inuyasha may no longer need it to keep his powers in check, as I already taught him how to control his youki, but he still needs a sword to help me protect the group with." she said. The spirit nodded emphatically and so Hotaru pulled out the sword and gave it to Inuyasha. "Put a bit of your energy into it." instructed Hotaru, so Inuyasha obeyed it. Then he yelped, as the useless sword became a mighty fang in the form of a sword. That he had trouble lifting from how unexpected the weight was.

Hotaru turned to Sesshomaru. "May he keep it? I mean, it clearly didn't want you near it, but you also don't seem the type to swing around a massive cleaver like weapon. You are far to elegant and regal for that." she said, trying to trick Sesshomaru to give up any claim he may have on the weapon.

"Very well. This Sesshomaru will relinquish any claim he may have on the blade," he shot her a pointed look, "if this ones idiotic half-brother defeats this one in a one on one sword fight."

"Bring it!" exclaimed Inuyasha brashly and Sesshomaru sent a sly grin her way, making Hotaru very nearly introduce her face to her palm and vice versa. She settled for sighing.

"Before you start fighting, let me make this a fair fight by taking of your weights." said Hotaru. She quick walked over to Inuyasha and put a hand on his head. After saying: "Release!" she stepped back and out of the way to let the two brothers battle.

It was a fast paced and fierce battle. Hotaru's insistence, that he learned how to fight with katanas as well as massive zanbatous came in very handy, as well as her releasing his training weights. They were, after all, by around 250 kg total weight.

After half an hour, Sesshomaru came to the conclusion, that his brother was worthy of the blade, but only because he had obviously received some heavy duty sword training. Then a big surprise happened. The two spirits Hotaru could see split in two. The weaker shards went into their swords as any proper sword spirit would be, but the two strong parts combined and a piece of soul lingering in the graveyard, clinging to the bones freed itself and joined the waiting part of the rest. The spirit seemed to become more solid, as the two brothers snapped their heads to look at the ghost. Then, he talked.

"My sons, I'm so proud of you. Sesshomaru, you finally learned a bit of compassion and Inuyasha, you have found your place in life. And thank you, little Hotaru, for making it possible!" he said in a proud, then grateful voice. Hotaru decided to use her powers for the first time in literally millennia to give someone back their live.

"Am I correct in assuming you are Inutaisho, father of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha?" after receiving a curious nod, Hotaru continued. "And am I correct in assuming the skeleton over there is yours?" after getting another nod, Hotaru prepared to drop her bomb. "Then I have an offer for you."

"I'm all ears." Inutaisho prompted her.

"It is possible for me to completely and truly revive you." all three dog demons gaped at her, even Sesshomaru.

"As your spirit and deceased body are present it is possible for me to do so. I do require an oath of you though." Inutaisho looked contemplative.

"What oath would that be?" he asked carefully. Good, he was no moron then.

"I require an oath of silence. From all three of you. Nothing you learned as a dead may be known to anyone, be they human or demon or something else. It would also require you to say, that you were mortally wounded and healed in a secluded spot, rather than telling everyone you came back from the dead and how you managed it. The same would be required of you two. No telling anyone that I can do it. It is for my protection as well as yours. If you only survived a mortal wound it would be nothing for people to accept it. Being brought back from the dead is another thing entirely." she explained. She expected anything from the deceased demon but a full out laughter from the bottom of his belly. Inuyasha simply nodded, already knowing her peculiarities and Sesshomaru studied her with interest.

After calming down, Inutaisho accepted, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were quick to agree also. And so, Hotaru called out her transformation pen. The three demons looked at her questioningly. "I need more power than is currently available to me, so I need to transform into a more powerful state. Please don't freak out, I mean you no harm." After that, she transformed. And all three took several steps back. She exuded an aura of death. "Please call me Saturn when I'm like this. Now, come along, Inutaisho, so I can resurrect you as you were in your prime." Saturn said softly. She knew how her aura came of to people. It screamed death and destruction to everyone. Then she shifted her powers, making death go into the background and making life and creation take the forefront. It was much harder to control and much easier for her to let her aura be attuned to death than life, mainly because of the many times she was ordered to take lives. It made breathing and guilt more bearable.

A few short minutes later, Inutaisho was fully resurrected, no strings attached. All three swore an oath to never mention Inutaisho was ever not alive, only believed dead, recuperating in the sealed of dimension he planned on making his grave.

Inutaisho decided to mask his power and travel with Hotaru and his younger son. Hotaru suspected, that he wanted to keep an eye on her. She was, after all, a pure one (a being of pure power, representing an aspect of the universe). And then not just any pure one, but a major one. The one who had control over life. And apparently over death, from her previous aura. Mentally exhausted, Hotaru let her transformed state fade away.

* * *

After another month, the little group came across a disgusting half demon. What is more, it appeared as though he had extended his life artificially and was originally a human. Hotaru was pissed, but had to sit this one out, as Inutaisho had claimed this foe, calling him disgusting.

After the battle, Hotaru lifted her glaive over the nearly dead remains of the half-demon. "I, Hotaru Higurashi, condemn you to never be reborn again!" intoned Hotaru clearly. She released her miko aura she normally kept bound in her body. "With the powers bestowed upon me by the great miko Midoriko, may you be purged and atone for your sins in the afterlife!" continued Hotaru. Then with a prayer of "May you find peace", Hotaru let her glaive cleave straight through the disgusting creature, ignited with miko powers.

After her group had come over their shock of feeling her power, Inutaisho wrapped her into his arms. The demon lord had started courting her soon after joining their group and she was slightly inclined to accept. Simply because no one had ever wanted her that way. And the dog demon was incredibly persistent. So, Hotaru didn't struggle to get free, encouraging the demon to convince her he meant it and did not simply do it because it meant having her at his beck and call.

After another three months, Inuyasha decided it wasn't so bad being a half demon if he didn't have nights when he changed into a weak human, so released her out of the contract. He had a slight crush on Kagura, the wind mistress who was forced to do Naraku's dirty work for him, so the two started traveling together and alone. As long as Inuyasha had _someone_ to protect, he could use Tessaiga to his hearts Content, after all. And really, Hotaru was way more powerful than Inyasha could ever hope to be.

As a good bye gift, Hotaru used Inutaisho as a guide line and gave Inuyasha a bit more of his demonic heritage, making him stronger, faster and more in tune with his instincts. It was very much appreciated by the now three quarter demon.

* * *

Hotaru continued to travel with Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Inutaisho. The monk found interest in the demon slayer. Hotaru had already made his wind tunnel safer to use, so no danger of him being devoured by it. Sango hoped to find her little brother Kohaku, who wasn't under the dead she buried back when her village was slaughtered. Shippo viewed Hotaru as his mother and Inutaisho wished to court Hotaru. So when shortly after splitting up the first time, Sango found Kohaku, living in a normal village now, she decided to settle down there as well. Miroku followed her lead on this and so the village got two new protectors.

* * *

Now it was only Hotaru, Shippo and Inutaisho. The father of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru already expressed his desire to court her, but also his willingness to wait until Shippo could stand on his own two legs. And wait he did. Hotaru was grateful.

* * *

Thirty years later, Shippo found himself a respectable mate and settled down in the surrounding of the village Hotaru started her journey with Inuyasha in. Shippo had grown stronger, much stronger. He didn't need her help any more. And so, Hotaru decided to go through the well one last time before living her life with Inutaisho, to whom she had given in and said yes to not even ten years ago.

After coming up, she had dinner with her mother, grandfather, little brother and twin sister, went to bed and the next day, she dressed 'to go on her first date'. In reality, she dressed to provoke, something she never thought she would do.

When she found the well superficially sealed, Hotaru gave a deep frown, broke the seal, then jumped down and into the past. Less than a second passed for Inutaisho, but he knew a bit over a day passed for Hotaru. He growled when he saw Hotaru dressed so... freely. In reality, Hotaru wore a light purple sundress that came down to her knees, those sandals more leather band than anything else and bound up to mid calf with the ends hanging down to her ankles and a simple, thin silver armband out of tiny chain pieces. Various charms hanging from it. Her by now waist length hair half bound back by a deep purple bow, half falling loosely down her back. Like Minako's had always been. Around her neck a simple black choker.

Hotaru only had time to properly stand up and dust herself off, before she was trapped by strong arms against a muscular chest. "I hope you know what you do to me." growled Inutaisho into Hotaru's ear.

"I don't, but I hope." she said. Hotaru only hoped she would never regret her decision. She had never ever had anyone interested in her as... Hotaru, not in the power sailor Saturn could throw around. One of the three requirements to release her power was for her husband to authorize it, the other two are the queen and herself in extreme situations and herself. Inutaisho may not know it, but by intending to become his and for him to become hers, she laid a huge responsibility on his shoulders.

"Then let me enlighten you. If you don't tell me right here and now you don't want anything to do with me, my demon blood will strongly urge me on to claim you and I don't have the willpower to withstand for much longer." growled the dog demon. Hotaru pondered that for a moment, then she pouted.

"Mou, I wanted for that to happen in private, where no one will bother us!" said Hotaru, trying hard to look and sound cute. It was in good fun on her part.

"Done." said the dog demon, then took her to his private castle, well, castle may be a bit much. It was a big mansion. He got a few demons to clean it for him, though now he ordered them to stay out of the west wing, the wing reserved for him and any family that may visit. It would be put to good use now, in dotting on his soon to be mate.

* * *

After three days, Hotaru and Inutaisho emerged. Hotaru had a bite mark on her left shoulder, showing on her neck despite now wearing a modest kimono. Inutaisho had, not that anyone could see it, now a star on his left shoulder blade. If it would ever fade a bit, Inutaisho knew she was in her sailor uniform, fighting someone or something strong. If it ever faded completely, she had released her full power. He would be the only one able to reseal them then. With a kiss. If he ever kissed her in her sailor form and said 'release your full power, Saturn!', then she would do as told, because _he was her husband_ and as such could command her to do so.

Well, Inutaisho had promised to not abuse this gift she bestowed upon him. Only time (and no Pluto, you do not count!) would tell. For now, they had a few centuries, before Hotaru had to worry about anything else.


End file.
